Store-service trolley-track



(No Model.)

S J BRENNAN STORE SERVICE TEOLLBY TRACK.

Patented Dec. 14, 1897.

w m M y JzzavL J UNITED STATES Price.

PATENT STORE-SERVICE TROLLEY-TRACK.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,555, datedDecember 14, 1897.

Application filed December 10, 1896. Serial No. 615,212. (No model.)

- a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Holyoke, in the county of Ham pden and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Store-ServiceTrol-ley-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to store-service trolley-tracks, and particularlyto such tracks made of wire or wire cables, the object of the inventionbeing to provide a trolley-track for 'the support of the upper end of aladder, such as is used in stores or warehouses for giving convenientaccess to the upper shelves in such places, which track shall be cheap,of light construction, and noiseless; and the invention consists in theconstruction of a wire track, all as fully described in the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is aperspective View of a track constructed according to my invention. Fig.2 is a detail view of a part of one of the anchor-brackets. Fig. 3 is aplan view from above, showing the position of a movable supportintermediate of the two anchor-brackets at each end of the'track and indotted lines is shown another position of said support. Fig. 4 shows ananchor-bracket for a singlewire track. Fig. 4 is a detail section ofsaid single-wire bracket. Fig. 5 is a view showing the construction of atrolley attached to the upper end of a ladder for use on said wire. 1

Inthe drawings, A represents two parallel tracks made, preferably, ofsteel wire.

B is an anchor-bracket, to which the ends of the wire tracks A areattached. Abracket is required for each end of the track to beestablished, and said brackets consist of a base 2, which may be boltedor screwed to ends of said tracks may be threaded and secured in saidhubs by a nut on said threaded portion, as shown in Fig. 4, if desired,but the preferable manner of securing the ends of said tracks in saidhubs is to pass the ends thereof through said hubs 4 and then make ashort spiral turn in said ends, as shown in said Fig. 2, and then fillthe said passage 5 with some metal, as lead, in a melted condition,which on cooling leaves the end of said track firmly embedded in saidmetal. bracket is preferably made of cast-iron and said base andbracket-arms all cast in one piece. 6 6 are cast thereon, between whichis pivoted the tightening-arm 7, having the cross-head 8 thereon, whichis provided with grooves 9, with which the wires A engage. A toothedrack 10 is cast on the base of the bracket, as shown, and atightening-lever pivotally secured to said arm 7 by one end engages byits opposite end one of the notches of the said rack 10. Saidtightening-lever is made in two parts 14 and 15, which are united by along sleeve or nut 16, provided with a right and left hand screw-threadin the ends thereof to receive the similarly-threaded ends of the parts14 and 15 of the said lever. Said tightening-lever is operated totighten said wires by forcing it down thereagainst as far as possible byhand, and then by the operation of the nut or sleeve 16 said lever ismoved with great power to apply such strain to the wires A as may berequired. By a similar bracket and tightening device at the opposite endof the track sufficient strain is put on the wire tracks to afford asuitable support for the upper end of a ladder 17, provided with a truckor trolley 18. Said trolley is of the usual construction, except thatguards 19 are provided, which are adj us table on the frame of the trucktoward and from the underside of the wheels of said truck and whichguards are set in close proximity to the under side of the said Wheelswhen they are in engagement with the wire and whereby they are preventedfrom disengagement therewith should the ladder to which the truck issecured receive a sudden shock. Fig. 5) having a screw-threaded endprojecting through a slot 20 in the side of the truckframe, said slotbeing located in vertical po- Said,

Said guards 19 consist of a stud (see At the inner end of said base twolugs sition under the center of the truck-wheel. A nut on said threadedend of the stud serves to secure it in said frame in its proper place.

Fig. A shows a construction of bracket B, adapted to a single-wiretrack, and in said figure is also shown a modified construction of thetightening-lever, which, instead of being in two parts 14 and 15, asdescribed, is made of one piece 21 and has a screw-threaded end whichengages with the head of a stud 22, pivotally secured near the free endof said arm 7, said connection permitting the lever 21 to assume anyrequired inclined position relative to the base of the bracket. 23 onsaid lever 21 bears against the head of said stud 22 and forcibly moves,when operated, the arm 7, as desired. \Vhen said desired position hasbeen attained, a nut 24 on the stud 22 is tightened, thus securing saidstud. Fig 4 shows the above construction in detail.

If the length of a track to be established requires it, one or moresupport-s intermediate of the end brackets may be used to maintain saidtracks A in a horizontal position. Said supports are designated by 25,and one of them is shown in Fig. l in perspective and in plan view inFig. 3, and consists of a base a and depending rod 1), on the lowerextremity of which the two arms (Z d are cast on a suitable hub d, whichrevolves freely in a horizontal plane on said rod 1), being retained inposition by the collars f, as shown. In Fig. 3 is also shown thedisposition of the arms (Z of the support relative to the trackwires.

A nut I As the ladder is moved in the direction of the arrow the truckstrikes the arm (1, extending across under the track, and swings it onits support, the second arm following behind the said truck and engagingthe under side of the track before the first of said arms has been swungfree therefrom. The dotted position of the arms of said swinging supportshows them in position to be engaged by the return of the ladder andswing back to the position shown in full lines. By means of thisconstruction the track may be supported in as many places along the lineas may be necessary and the passage of the truck on the ladder not beinterfered with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

A store-service trolley-track comprising one or more wire tracks,anchor-brackets for each end of said tracks, a ladder and trolleysecured thereto for engagement with said tracks, and means appliedbetween the said anchorbrackets for tightening said wires consisting ofthe arm 7, pivoted by one end above said tracks, and the opposite endthereof engaging said tracks, and means for forcibly moving said armfrom an inclined position relative to said tracks to a position morenearly at right angles thereto, substantially as described.

STEPHEN J. BRENNAN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CHAPIN, JULIUS D. GARFIELD.

